College

Four former Naugatuck Valley League players have provided the heart, the backbone, the scoring, the defense and the leadership for the Western Connecticut women's soccer team, and that combination has proved good enough to lead the Colonials into the NCAA Division III Tournament this weekend.

Twin sisters Samantha Trayer and Jamie Trayer from Watertown, Cecilia Dias from Woodland and Ariana D'Aurio from Holy Cross have combined to form an incredibly solid nucleus around which Coach Joe Mingachos has attempted to build a championship team.

The Colonials fell just short in the Little East Conference Tournament final, losing 1-0 to UMass-Boston, but Western(15-4-3) has been given a second chance at a championship. The team earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament and plays Saturday against 15-3-2 Grove City (Pa.) at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Mingachos knows the opportunity comes in no small part thanks to the former NVL players on his roster.

"They are all extremely important to us," Mingachos said. "We have Cici and Sam who are captains, and Jamie is a leader on the field, as well. And then Aria is junior and is a leader by the way she plays on the field. I cannot put more importance on any one of them, because they have all been integral parts of our success."

Dias has been a four-year starter and two-year captain for the Colonials from her center midfield position. Last season she unselfishly moved back to defense due to an injury to another player and performed well enough to earn All-Conference honors at her new position. This year she is back at center mid controlling games.

"She is basically the backbone of this team," Mingachos said. "She is our heart and soul, an unselfish kid who plays wherever we ask her to play. She is a tremendous beautiful kid that everyone loves and respects, a perfect student-athlete at this level."

While Dias is more of a defensive-minded midfielder, she has stepped up to score when asked to do so. She assisted on the game-winning goal in the LEC quarterfinals and scored her only goal of the season in the conference semifinals to tie the game.

The bulk of the team's scoring this season came, however, from D'Aurio who is from Cheshire. She led the Colonials with 15 goals and three assists with eight of her goals being game-winners.

"We always knew she had it in her because of her athleticism, her speed and her work ethic," Mingachos said. "She is a tough, hard-nosed player whose work rate is exceptional. We have been waiting for this breakout year, waiting for it and waiting for it, and this year she had just an unbelievable year. Her athleticism and her ability to finish around the goal have been real keys to our success."

With D'Aurio providing the offense, Samantha Trayer has provided the defense as a three-year starter at center back.

"She is the anchor that holds everything together for us in the back," Mingachos said. "She plays a very, very important position and does it extremely well. Not only is her playing ability important to us, but her leadership abilities are extremely, extremely important. She has been unbelievable for us all year."

Mingachos raved about Trayer's communication skills in directing the back line, but he said she provides an even more valuable asset to the team. "She is a competitor with an intense desire to win," Mingachos said. "She will not allow this team to lose, and will go wherever or do whatever is needed for us to be successful."

Of course every championship contender needs a great goalie, and Jamie Trayer is part of a highly successful two-goalie rotation that Mingachos employs. As a general rule, he will use Trayer in the first half of games and to take advantage of her size and tenacity and will use Caitlin Avery in the second half of games to utilize her athleticism and feet.

Trayer has not lost this season as she is 7-0-1 with a miniscule 0.39 goals against average playing in 17 games. Avery has also played in 17 games with a 0.71 goals against average.

Trayer, who transferred to Western after her sophomore year at Central Connecticut, has been a very key addition for the Colonials.

"Jamie has really come on unbelievably for us to have a great season this year," Mingachos said. "She is another great team leader who knows her role and is a great communicator. She is an athletic big kid (5-foot-7) who is unbelievable on balls served in the air. But mostly she is good because of her knowledge of the position and how well she carries herself. She is just a total team player."

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